TPC Louisiana in Avondale is the best golf course near New Orleans — a Pete Dye design that hosts the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic, ranks #4 in Louisiana, and is open to the public from $89.
Read on for a full breakdown of the five best courses in the area, what each one costs, and how to plan your rounds.
TPC Louisiana — The Best Overall Course Near New Orleans
TPC Louisiana sits about 15–20 minutes from the French Quarter in Avondale, on the West Bank, and it's the only PGA Tour facility in the state. Pete Dye designed it with input from PGA Tour players Steve Elkington and New Orleans native Kelly Gibson, and it opened in 2004. It's been the permanent home of the Zurich Classic — the Tour's only team-format FedExCup event — ever since 2007.
The course stretches 7,425 yards from the tips (par 72, course rating 75.9, slope 141), but five tee box options bring it down to 5,121 yards, so it plays well for a wide range of handicaps. Golf Digest has ranked it #4 in Louisiana consistently since 2023.
What to expect on the course: 250+ acres of Mississippi River Delta wetlands, water in play on 7 of 18 holes, more than 100 bunkers, native cypress trees, and yes — alligators. The back nine features several large waste bunkers that demand attention, and the overall layout rewards course management over pure distance.
Green fees (2026):
- Louisiana residents: from $89
- Non-residents: $129–$320 depending on season and day
- NOLA Card (LA residents): $329/year + $74/round
- Full membership: $4,500/year
A couple of things worth knowing before you book: the course closes to the public during Zurich Classic week each April, with tee times reopening the following Tuesday. In summer, go early — afternoon thunderstorms are common from May through September, and the heat and humidity make a morning round significantly more enjoyable.
Bayou Oaks at City Park (South Course) — Best Public Course Inside the City
Golf has been played at City Park since 1902, but the South Course as it exists today is a 2017 Rees Jones and Greg Muirhead design built on the footprint of the original East and West courses, both of which Hurricane Katrina wiped out. The $26 million rebuild was funded by the State of Louisiana ($9.9M), FEMA ($7.1M), and the Bayou District Foundation ($8.9M) — and ongoing revenue from the course helps fund education, housing, and healthcare initiatives in the surrounding Gentilly neighborhood.
At 7,302 yards, par 72, it plays as a genuine championship test, but the flat $59 green fee seven days a week makes it one of the better values you'll find at this length anywhere in the region.
What sets it apart from other city courses:
- No housing surrounds the property, which gives it an open, resort-like feel rare for a municipal course
- Century-old live oaks frame the fairways throughout
- 46 bunkers and multiple lagoons keep the layout honest
- TifEagle greens are large, firm, and subtly contoured
- Wind is the primary defense — check the flag direction before each shot
On-site amenities are well above average for a public course: a 13,000-square-foot clubhouse with full dining, a lighted driving range with TopTracer technology, and a dedicated short-game area. The adjacent North Course (par 72, 5,740 yards) shares the same facility and carries a more relaxed dress code if you're playing with mixed company.
One thing to note: collared shirts are required on the South Course and jeans aren't allowed. Also worth confirming ahead of your visit — a tournament event temporarily closed the range in 2025, so it's worth a quick call before booking if you want to warm up beforehand.
English Turn Golf & Country Club — Best Private Course on the West Bank
English Turn was built with one specific purpose: to host PGA Tour golf. Jack Nicklaus designed the course, which opened in 1988, and it delivered on that goal almost immediately — the club hosted the New Orleans PGA Tour stop every year from 1989 through 2004, then welcomed the Tour back one final time in 2006. The gallery berms and spectator mounds you'll notice around the property aren't an afterthought; they were baked into Nicklaus's original design.
The course measures 7,078 yards from the back tees (par 72, course rating 74.6, slope 140–141) and plays every bit as demanding as its Tour history suggests. Water comes into play on all 18 holes, and nearly 100 bunkers — several of them large waste bunkers — keep approach play honest throughout. The signature hole is the par-5 15th, which features an island green and has ended many a promising round.
The club sits inside a 1,200-acre gated residential community about 20–30 minutes south of downtown, and the plantation-style clubhouse runs 43,000–45,000 square feet. Amenities include six lighted tennis courts, a junior-Olympic pool, a fitness center, and full dining — it functions as a complete private club, not just a golf facility.
Getting on: This is a genuinely private club, and online listings showing public tee times reflect outdated policies. Your realistic options are:
- Reciprocal access through your home club — have your club pro call ahead before you travel
- An invitation through a corporate outing or member guest
Dress code is strictly enforced, and pace can run on the slower side, so early-week morning tee times are your best bet if you manage to get on.
Lakewood Golf Club — Best Value for PGA Tour History
No course on this list carries more tournament history relative to its green fee. Lakewood hosted 26 New Orleans Opens between 1963 and 1988, with a winner's list that reads like a golf hall of fame roll call — Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Seve Ballesteros, and Billy Casper among them. Robert Bruce Harris designed the original layout in 1961, and after Hurricane Katrina caused significant damage, Ron Garl completed a $9 million redesign that reopened in February 2009.
The course plays 7,002 yards from the tips (par 72, course rating 74.1, slope 139) and sits in Algiers on the West Bank, about 15–20 minutes from downtown across the Crescent City Connection.
Green fees (2026):
- Louisiana residents: $60.30 Mon–Thu / $70.35 Fri–Sun
- Senior (50+): $45.23–$53.91
- Non-residents: ~$100 at peak
- Twilight: $33.81–$53.91
- Junior walking: $20.10–$25.13
All rates are subject to 10% sales tax.
The finishing hole alone is worth the trip for golf history fans — the par-4 18th, called “Fire in the Hole,” stretches 444 yards and features flame-shaped bunkers filled with red sand plus a fleur-de-lys bunker, both as a nod to the New Orleans firefighters' pension fund that owns the property.
Garl also installed a unique short-game area called the “Scoring Vee,” with practice targets set at every 20 yards — the only dedicated short-game facility of its kind in the metro area.
Two things to keep in mind: Katrina removed roughly 300 trees, so the layout plays considerably more open than it did during its Tour days. And course conditioning has drawn mixed reviews in recent summers, so a quick call ahead is worthwhile if you're visiting between July and September.
The Golf Club at Audubon Park — Best Short Course in New Orleans
Golf has been played on this 81-acre Uptown property since 1898, making it one of the oldest golf sites in the region. Denis Griffiths completed a full redesign in 2002 at a cost of around $6 million, and the result is a par-62 layout that punches well above its weight — CNN included it on its list of the world's top city courses, Tom Doak featured it as a “Gourmet Choice” course in his Confidential Guide, and Golfweek ranked it among the top 20 public short courses in the country as recently as 2025.
The numbers: 4,220 yards, 12 par-3s, 4 par-4s, and 2 par-5s. Most rounds wrap up in about 3 hours. Walk-up green fees run $35–$45, making it the most accessible round on this list by both price and format.
Don't let the par-62 tag fool you into leaving the wedges at the hotel. Four lagoons, hundred-plus-year-old live oaks, and TifEagle greens — widely regarded as the best putting surfaces in the metro area — make for a genuinely engaging test. There's essentially one hole where you'll reach for a driver; the rest of the bag from 7-iron down gets a full workout.
Why it works especially well for visitors:
- Walkable from the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line
- Free on-site parking
- Full restaurant on site — the Clubhouse Café is a natural spot for lunch before or after
- Ideal if you're short on time, staying in Uptown, or looking for a relaxed first-day round before tackling TPC Louisiana
The course opens at 7 a.m. daily (10 a.m. on Mondays) and closes at 6 p.m. Cart-path only, but the layout is easy to walk.
How to Plan Your New Orleans Golf Trip
Every course on this list sits within 30 minutes of downtown, plays year-round, and serves a different type of golfer. Here's how to stack them depending on how much time you have.
One day: Play TPC Louisiana. It's the only PGA Tour venue in the state, the strongest test in the area, and worth prioritizing above everything else if you're limited to a single round.
Two days: Add Bayou Oaks South on day two. The combination gives you a Pete Dye wetland layout followed by a Rees Jones parkland course — two distinct designs, both championship length, both within 20 minutes of the French Quarter. Louisiana residents can do both rounds for well under $200 combined.
Three days or a long weekend: Your third round depends on what you're after. Lakewood delivers a full-length championship course with genuine PGA Tour history at a price that's hard to argue with. Audubon Park is the better call if you want something shorter and walkable — it's also ideal for a half-day before a flight or an easy first-day round while you're still finding your legs.
Chasing private golf: English Turn is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature design in metro New Orleans and the area's former Tour venue. Access is by reciprocal arrangement or member invitation only, so contact your home club pro before you travel — not when you arrive. If the drive doesn't bother you, Money Hill Golf & Country Club in Abita Springs is a Ron Garl private course on the North Shore, about an hour north across Lake Pontchartrain, and worth pursuing as an alternative.
A few practical notes before you book:
- TPC Louisiana's non-resident rates range from $129 to $320 — always confirm the exact rate for your specific date, as third-party sites show estimates only
- Book TPC for early morning in summer; afternoon thunderstorms are common May through September
- Confirm Bayou Oaks isn't closed for a tournament or event before locking in your tee time
- Check recent player reviews for Lakewood if you're visiting in late summer, when turf conditioning has historically been inconsistent
- Hurricane season runs June through November and can affect course conditions across the board — factor that into your travel window if course quality matters to you
Conclusion
New Orleans has a golf scene worth planning a trip around, with five solid courses spread across different formats, price points, and playing experiences — all within 30 minutes of the city.
Start with TPC Louisiana if you only have time for one round, build out from there based on your budget and schedule, and arrange English Turn access well in advance if private club golf is on your list.
Every course here plays year-round, so the only real question is how many rounds you can fit in.
